Coalition Launches Ground Offensive in Gulf War

Context

Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait, which began with a sudden invasion on August 2, 1990, prompted an international response framed by United Nations resolutions demanding withdrawal. A broad coalition assembled in Saudi Arabia under Operation Desert Shield to deter further Iraqi moves and prepare options for restoring Kuwaiti sovereignty. By late 1990 the Security Council had authorized member states to use “all necessary means” after a January 15, 1991 deadline passed without Iraqi compliance.

What Happened

After five weeks of sustained coalition air operations that began on January 17, 1991, General Norman Schwarzkopf directed the ground phase, known as Operation Desert Sabre. On February 24, Marine and Arab units crossed into Kuwait from the south while the U.S. VII Corps and XVIII Airborne Corps executed a sweeping westward “left hook” into southern Iraq, aiming to isolate and destroy the Republican Guard divisions positioned near the Kuwaiti border. Iraqi forces, already degraded by weeks of bombardment and surprised by the flanking maneuver, offered limited resistance; large numbers of troops surrendered within hours, and coalition armored columns advanced dozens of kilometers on the first day.

Aftermath

By February 27, Kuwait City had been liberated and the bulk of Iraq’s field army either destroyed, captured, or in retreat toward Basra. President George H.W. Bush announced a unilateral ceasefire at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time on February 28, exactly 100 hours after the ground offensive began. Iraq accepted the coalition’s terms, including withdrawal from Kuwait and compliance with future UN resolutions.

Legacy

The campaign validated the post–Cold War model of multinational coalitions acting under UN authority to reverse aggression through rapid, technologically enabled operations. It reinforced U.S. emphasis on precision munitions, air-land integration, and overwhelming force, doctrines that shaped subsequent American military planning. The decision to halt short of Baghdad, however, left Saddam Hussein’s regime intact, contributing to a decade of sanctions, no-fly zones, and weapons inspections that framed later Middle East crises.